Family in Fouzen
by The Sun In The East
Summary: What does it mean to be Darcsen? An extra scene directly after the Liberation of Fouzen,.


Isara crouched low behind the tank, running her fingers through the crevices of the ragnite engine. She smiled as she worked, pushing dark hair back behind her ears and leaving a smudge of grease across her cheek. The Edelweiss was a quirky machine, but it was Isara's charge and her passion. She was eager to be gone from Fouzen, and that sped her work. The sooner the Edelweiss, which had taken damage in the fighting, was repaired, the sooner they could get out of the industrial hellhole. Every time she closed her eyes, the burning concentration camp was a gaping wound upon her memory.

_That could have been me. Those were my people._

Zaka appeared behind the Darcsen girl, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, kid. Can we talk?"

Isara turned and looked up at him. "Um… I really want to get the Edelweiss moving again…" She said, glancing back at the hulking vehicle.

"I'm sure nobody will mind if it takes a few minutes longer. Come on, you can work while we talk."

Isara nodded and returned her eyes to the engine's comforting glow. Zaka climbed on top of one of its gritty treads and sat down, his head turned to the side to look at Isara. "So… ah… how is it that you ended up as Lieutenant Gunther's sister, anyway?"

"You mean because I'm a Darcsen and he's not?" Isara asked amicably.

"Ah, yeah, sorry. That was an insensitive question."

Isara shrugged. "No, it's fine. Welkins' father General Gunther and mine were comrades in the first Europan war. When my father died, Welkins' took me in."

"General Gunther never struck me as that kind of guy."

Isara looked up at him, her attention piqued. "Did you know him?"

Zaka shook his head. "Nah, I was just a kid during the first Europan War. He was popular here in Fouzen, where there were always lots of Darcsens. He was known for being… tolerant of us." Zaka smiled at Isara. "Cheer up, kid. It's not all that bad. You've got a brother and a squad that's fine with who and what you are."

"Zaka, did you grow up in Fouzen?" Isara asked, sitting back to look at him and pulling her hands out of the engine.

"Yeah."

Isara dragged her eyes away from Zaka's to stare at the ground. "Did you know… people in that camp?"

"We're both Darcsen, Isara. And so are who knows how many others in this squad. We didn't need to know anybody. We just saw a Darcsen Concentration Camp. Worse, we saw people inside of that camp burn. It doesn't matter who knew who." Zaka paused, staring at Isara. "But I am sorry you had to watch that, Isara."

"I'm sorry you had to watch your home get turned into a death camp."

Zaka sighed and offered a hand to Isara. "Come on, kid. Sit up here with me."

Isara took his hand, climbing up on the treads to sit beside Zaka. She stared at the Darcsen cloth around his neck, and played idly with her own.

"Where I grew up, almost all the people I knew were Darcsens." Said Zaka softly. "That's just how Fouzen's always been. Until the Imperials showed up… Well, it was kind of a shock to see how hated we were."

"We're not." Isara mumbled.

Zaka looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "We're the country's biggest scapegoat. The only Darcsen Calamity is the one they've forced on us. Whatever happened back then, its' bullshit to keep putting that on every Darcsen."

"But not everyone!" Isara insisted. "Welkin-I mean, Lieutenant Gunther-He never cared, and neither does the rest of the squad. Even Rosie's come around. They're good people."

Zaka smiled at Isara. Her buoyancy made him ashamed of his own bitterness. "Well, maybe I'll be a Seven soon, and I'll get to see what you're talking about."

"You're going to be a Seven?"

Zaka nodded. "I can't stay in Fouzen anymore, Isara. Look at that burned out camp for the rest of my life. And what better way to get away then joining the militia? I'm sure with a solid push, after what happened here today, I could get myself on the notorious Squad Seven."

A smile lit up Isara's face. "I can't wait!"

Zaka laughed. "Feeling better now? Darcsens have to stick together, you know."

Isara nodded. "Welkin will be really happy."

"Don't tell him, okay? I want to see the look on that kid's face when he realizes there's no getting rid of me." He laughed.

Isara nodded, laughing along with him. "On one condition."

"Oh, you're feeling bold are you, kid? Think you can put conditions on Zaka?"

Isara nodded firmly again. "Yes. Stop it with this talk about how much people hate Darcsens. We don't do that in squad seven."

"You've got a deal, kid." Zaka grinned. "I think I could learn to like this."

"Oh, you will. Squad Seven is a family."

"I like the sound of that." Said Zaka, laughing at Isara's firmness and light-heartedness.

Isara nudged him with her shoulder and giggled. "Thanks, Zaka. I'm really happy you'll be joining us."

"You better not be kidding about that family thing." He said with a sidelong glance. "I don't have one of those in Fouzen."

"I'm not." Isara affirmed.

"Well then…" Said Zaka, jumping off the tank. "I look forward to rejoining you in Randgriz as a member of squad seven. As a member of your family."


End file.
